Endowed Chair and Executive Director, Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies

Classification Title:

CTR DIR & ASO/FULL PROF

Classification Minimum Requirements:

A candidate for Associate Professor shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field or possess professional qualifications above those equivalent to the highest degree relevant to their field. They are expected to have produced creative work, professional writing, or research and successful teaching or professional experience. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the assistant professor level.

A candidate for Professor shall be qualified for the rank of associate professor and, in addition, be a recognized national or international authority or an outstanding teacher in their field or specialization. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the associate professor level.

Job Description:

The University of Florida seeks applications for the David Lawrence Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies, a 12-month tenure-track associate or full professor appointment. The Endowed Chair will also hold an administrative appointment as the Executive Director of the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. These roles recognize an eminent scholar with a national or international reputation for research, policy leadership, and transformative initiatives in child development, and early childhood studies or education. The Director and Chair will provide visionary leadership to advance transdisciplinary research, policy, and practice that supports the development, well-being, learning, and optimal outcomes for young children and their families.

The David Lawrence, Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies will have a faculty appointment in an academic unit (e.g., the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies). The Endowed Chair will also hold an administrative appointment as the Executive Director of the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies. The Center endowment serves as a robust reserve and resource for advancing the Center’s initiatives and the financially-sound Lawrence endowment will support the Chair holder’s own research activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Provide vision and leadership as the Director for the Anita Zucker Center and Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies, advancing transdisciplinary research and policy initiatives in early childhood.
• Research and Scholarship: Conduct high-quality, impactful research in early childhood studies and maintain a strong record of scholarly publications.
• Policy Engagement: Play a prominent role in national and international discussions on early childhood policy, advocating for optimal outcomes for all young children, their families, and the practitioners that support them
• Collaboration and Outreach: Strengthen partnerships with UF entities, national organizations, and early childhood researchers and practitioners to bridge research, policy, and practice.
• Funding and Resource Development: Secure a broad array of external funding (e.g., grants, contracts, gifts) and partnerships to support the Center’s initiatives. Expand the Center’s impact by identifying and pursuing new opportunities, building capacity, and ensuring the sustainability of its initiatives.
• Mentorship and Professional Development: Mentor faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates contributing to programmatic and faculty development.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE: The College of Education at the University of Florida, founded in 1906, has consistently been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation in Online Graduate Education for the last nine years, No. 2 nationally for undergraduate education and 6th nationally among public and private education schools (U.S. News & World Report). Three of the College's academic programs occupy top-20 spots in the U.S. News rankings: Counselor Education (1st), Special Education (4th), and Elementary Education (14th). Cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and public scholarship—often conducted in partnership with other UF colleges, school districts and communities across the state and nation—are yielding powerful learning systems and models that are helping to transform education in today’s changing world, starting with our youngest learners. Faculty researchers last year garnered more than $150.3 million in external awards supporting studies and projects addressing education’s most critical issues. With both on campus and online options, the college offers 29 bachelor’s and advanced degree programs and concentration areas, within nine academic specialties. To sustain the college's innovative edge, heightened emphasis on emerging technologies, student experience and interdisciplinary research will effectively prepare tomorrow's leaders in all education disciplines. The College's educator preparation programs have been continuously nationally accredited since 1954. Follow us: @UF_COE (X), @uf_coe (Instagram), @university-of-florida-college-of-education (LinkedIn), and @UF.COE (Facebook)

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY: The University of Florida, founded in 1853, is a public land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research university and one of the most academically diverse universities in the nation. U.S. News & World Report ranks UF 7th among public universities. National rankings such as 1st by the Wall Street Journal and 4th by Forbes in their respective lists of Public Universities are a result of UF’s commitment to provide the highest quality education at the best value. UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 200 research, service and education centers, bureaus and institutes, and boasts more than 6,600 faculty members, 60,000 students and 405,000 living alumni. Faculty scholars last year generated more than $1.26 billion in research awards. UF recently launched a $70 million AI partnership with NVIDIA, taking the first step toward ensuring equitable access to bringing AI to students and faculty from across campus and the state. The Florida Legislature designated UF as a “preeminent'' state university in 2013.

ABOUT THE AREA: UF is situated in Gainesville in North Central Florida, a vibrant college town that blends big-city cultural and athletic offerings with small-town friendliness and charm, along with excellent schools. Gainesville, located about halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, is often recognized as one of America’s best college towns and is easily accessible to three major metropolitan areas (Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa). The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Gainesville as a “Tree City USA” every year since 1982. USA Today ranked Gainesville as the number one place to move in the Sunshine State. Add the allure of Florida’s famous sunshine, tropical breezes, and abundant wilderness, springs, rivers and seashores nearby, and it is little wonder that top-caliber faculty and students find our College and University to be the perfect balance of premier academics and a fulfilling lifestyle.

Expected Salary:

Commensurate with education and experience. 

Required Qualifications:

• A doctorate in an appropriate field related to early childhood studies or education, child development, or a related discipline
• A distinguished record of research and scholarship in early childhood studies and/or child development
• Tenure eligible as an (advanced) associate or full professor
• National or international recognition for leadership and impact in child development, early childhood studies or education
• Proven success in securing and administering external funding from various sources (e.g., federal, state, foundation)
• Experience mentoring doctoral students, postdoctoral associates, and faculty colleagues
• A commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement

Preferred:

• Demonstrated experience in higher education administration, policy formulation and advocacy for child development or early childhood studies
• Experience leading a research center with affiliated faculty and staff
• Experience developing and implementing large-scale research or policy initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships with academic, government, and nonprofit organizations

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Application Procedures: Applicant should upload all materials to the University of Florida’s employment website https://jobs.ufl.edu. If technical assistance is needed, please contact Human resources at Show phone number. Complete applications include: (1) a letter of application addressing required and desired qualifications, (2) curriculum vitae or résumé, (3) contact information for three references, who after further review will be asked to send a letter of recommendation through the online application system.

Applicants should reference requisition 537859, position number 00042129. Inquiries about the position can be addressed to Erica McCray, Search Committee Chair (View email address on explore.jobs.ufl.edu). Review of candidates will begin on December 12, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, application materials should be submitted by December 5th. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and hiring authority.

The selection process will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” and Public Records laws. Search Committee meetings and interviews are open to the public and all applications, resumes, and other documents related to the search will be available for public inspection. Final candidates will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credentialing Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org.

Health Assessment Required:No